soil. 315 



by the Deep Water is injured by the prevalence of black Cretaceous clays 

 and the usual accompaniment of alkali. 



The South Fork of the Cheyenne has a broad level bottom, but gen- 

 erally so little elevated above the water in the stream as to be liable to 

 inundate from floods. In places, however, some very good land is to be 

 found in the extensive flats along that stream. Were the Blacks Hills as 

 densely populated as the State of New Hampshire or Vermont, which they 

 resemble in the character of the vegetation and climate, a very considerable 

 proportion of the area would be subjected to cultivation. But the amount of 

 arable land, or rather land that will in the next quarter of a century be cul- 

 tivated in this region, is small compared with the whole area of fully six 

 thousand square miles embraced in the Black Hills There is good land 

 enough in the bottoms of the streams suitable for cultivation to amply 

 support the population which will remain in the Hills after the present 

 excitement shall have subsided and stock-raising become an established 

 occupation. 



Including the bottom-lands of the Cheyenne and the Belle Fourche 

 and the arable land along the valleys of the streams issuing from the Black 

 Hills, I estimate that not less than one-twentieth of the whole area is sus- 

 ceptible of cultivation, the remainder being covered by forest or forming 

 stock-ranges of the finest description. 



SECTION IT". 



WILD FKUITS. 



The fruits found growing wild in the Black Hills are an evidence of 

 the adaptability of the country for raising the more valuable cultivated 

 varieties, and hence I propose to consider the wild fruits which were found 

 in this region much more in detail than they would otherwise deserve. 

 The most useful is the red raspberry, which was found in large patches in 

 the vicinity of Terry Peak, at an elevation of 6,500 feet above the sea. 

 The plant is rather dwarf in size, the bearing canes being about 2 feet high, 

 and August 15 were loaded with delicious fruit, resembling very closely the 

 cultivated variety "Knevit's Giant" in size, flavor, and productiveness. 



A variety of black gooseberry was abundant on the western side of the 



